Fresh off the back of a phenomenal sold-out tour of Australia and New Zealand, Paul Kelly has released the second single off his upcoming album SEVENTY.
“The Body Keeps the Score” proves why he remains one of Australia’s most treasured musical storytellers. The track echoes the sentiment of the book by Bessel van der Kolk, exploring how complex trauma can become buried in our bodies, surfacing unexpectedly to affect not only those who experienced it but those around them too.
“On a road trip, years ago, from Mullumbimby to Melbourne, I listened to the audiobook ‘The Body Keeps The Score’ by Bessel van der Kolk,” Kelly explains.
“It’s an investigation into the complex effects of trauma, how it can become buried in our bodies. How it can surface unexpectedly and cause harm not only to the person who experienced the trauma but to those who love them. I carried the title with me ever since that drive until one day last year at Bill Miller’s place, playing around with a tune, the words started to come out.”
The track was co-written by acclaimed musician, ARPA Award winner, and collaborator Bill Miller, who also features on it with vocal harmonies and the EBow.
It’s the second taste of SEVENTY, due for release on November 7th.
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The album sees Kelly mixing ghost stories with literary adaptations (“Sailing to Byzantium”), heartfelt notes to family (“Happy Birthday, Ada Mae”), and tales of old friends, unbridled desire, and “breathing in apples on the morning breeze.”
The album also features a track fans were waiting nearly three decades for, “Rita Wrote a Letter”, released in August, which picks up the story from his 1996 classic “How to Make Gravy”.
Today’s single follows the announcement of Kelly as a Red Hot Summer 2026 headliner. Supported by Missy Higgins, The Cruel Sea, The Cat Empire, Kasey Chambers, and Jess Hitchcock, the outdoor festival series is set to be one of the summer’s hottest tickets.
“The band and I have many great memories from our last Red Hot Summer tour. We’re looking forward to making some new ones!” Kelly said.
From the streets of St Kilda to the vast emotional landscapes of the human experience, Kelly’s four-decade career has created a songbook that spans everything from bluegrass to experimental dub, from Shakespeare sonnets to multilingual Christmas albums.
His legendary compositions have become part of Australia’s cultural DNA, while his collaborations with Indigenous artists including Kev Carmody, Archie Roach, and Yothu Yindi have seen him stand shoulder to shoulder in the fight for justice.
Paul Kelly’s “The Body Keeps the Score” is out now.
